1 . Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compositions, primarily ophthalmic solutions or ophthalmic suspensions, comprising as active ingredients one or more 2-(2-alkylphenylamino)-oxazoline, 2-(2-alkylphenylamino)-thiazoline or 2-(2-alkylphenylamino)-imidazoline compounds. The pharmaceutical compositions are useful for reducing or maintaining intraocular pressure in animals of the mammalian species. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to administering such formulations and compositions to animals of the mammalian species (including humans) for reducing or maintaining intraocular pressure in the eye.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Compounds useful for reducing or maintaining intraocular pressure are known in the art. Such compounds are used for treating eye diseases which manifest themselves in excessive intraocular pressure. In other words, such compounds are useful for treating glaucoma and related syndromes. That glaucoma is a serious health problem, afflicting approximately 2 percent of the population over the age of fourty years, is well known in medical science.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,800, for example, describes the use of 2-(trisubstituted phenylimino)imidazoline compounds [also known as 2-(trisubstituted-anilino)-1,3-diazacyclopentene-(2) compounds] in pharmaceutical compositions, preferably in eye drops, for the treatment of glaucoma.
Another aspect to the background of the present invention is in the field of heterocyclic chemistry, primarily as such chemistry is practiced for the purposes of developing biologically active compounds. In this regard, the following United States and foreign patents, which describe substituted oxazoline, thiazoline and imidazoline compounds, comprise further background to the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,833 [2-cycloalkylamino oxazolines having local anesthetic, sedative, vasoconstrictory, mucous membrane de-swelling, blood pressure depressant and gastric fluid secretion inhibitory effects];
U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,257 [2-(trisubstituted phenylimino)imidazoline compounds capable of controlling ocular bleeding];
U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,219 [2-(substituted-phenylamino)-thiazolines and imidazolines having anticholinergic activity];
U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,284 [2-(substituted-anilino)-2-oxazolines;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,600 [partially reduced 2-(naphthylamino) oxazolines and indanylamino oxazolines;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,798 [compositions comprising arylaminooxazolines and an antocholigeneric agent];
U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,092 [amino-oxazolines useful as central nervous system depressants];
U.S. Pat. No. 2,876,232 [2-(9-fluorenylamino)oxazolines,) and German Patent Nos. 1,191,381 and 1,195,323, and European Patent Application No. 87304019.0.
As it will become apparent from the ensuing description, some of the "composition of matter" used in the novel pharmaceutical compositions and methods of administration of the present invention are described or mentioned in one or more of the above-listed references, but the activity of these compounds as agents for reducing or maintaining intraocular pressure in animals of the mammalian species is believed to be novel to the present invention.